Ram header / expansion tank

[RogerKnill]

B89C6B72-50E5-4C06-91D7-293628FB40C7.jpeg

picture showing the filler in the top hose. As the filler cap is just a plain cap, the “overflow” connects to one side of the expansion tank. 2nd outlet of the expansion tank goes to the bleed in the right hand tank of the rad.

[JamesB]

Ok, got it. I will replicate something like that. Interesting that you mention the pipe going into the bleed on the rhs of the rad, is that rhs looking forward from the driving seat? Mine is on the lhs looking forward.

[RogerKnill]

Looking forward from the drivers seat, my rad has the inlet top left, exit bottom right, and a small bleed top right. Sounds like its the opposite set up from yours. If I was starting a fresh, the inlet on the rhs , exit lbs would be a more direct setup but I have all the pipes made up now.

One issue is that the header tank in the standard position, isn’t the highest point in the cooling system.

[JamesB]

Yes Roger, my rad layout is exactly opposite to yours I can't remember if that was deliberate or not! I had the rad made especially for the car and I think that the guy building it suggested that as it was going to have a Ford in it, it would be better to swap things around, he also soldered fixing lugs into the core so that the fans fit directly to the back of the rad which is a very elegant solution. I do recall that the header tank is not quite the highest point, guess I might put another bleed valve in to cover that.

Thanks for the help Roger, appreciate it.

[JamesB]

Roger, is that inline cap roughly at the highest point, I was just trying to understand the point of it and also connecting the other bleed to it. I can only see the point if that is close to the highest point in the system, is that it?

[RogerKnill]

I know it doesn’t look like it but It’s roughly at the highest point. When using it to fill the system, you can lift it slightly so it does becomes the high point, basically the same height as the thermostat housing. Once the system is full, I then cap it and let it sag under its own weight to the position in the photo.

I have a stainless tube that attaches to the rubber hose on the right of the inline fitting which is why it sags under its own weight. The tube takes the coolant from the rhs of the engine bay across to the lhs inlet of the rad. The stainless tube isn’t currently supported other than by the rubber hoses at either end, I intend to get a bracket welded to the tube to fix it to the same locating bolts that the expansion tank fixes to, at which time the in line fitting will permanently be at the high point. Stainless tube also houses the twin electric fans sensor, in a weld on bung.

my engine is a 351 Cleveland which has a dry manifold.

[JamesB]

Yes, figured as much, I will get an inline filler and do similar, still don't know where the other outlet used to go but at least now it will have somewhere new to go! Interesting that the Cleveland has a dry inlet, is that all of them? I am using a 427 windsor stroker. I fitted 2 fan temp switches via solder in bungs at the hottest point in the rad, I think you can see them in one of the pictures. These will switch at about 85 degrees and 95 degrees and I have 2 14" kenlowes which will hopefully keep it all cool.

[russell_ram2]

Here's how I did mine. Header tank to T in top hose to LH top of rad. Bleed from RH top of rad to header tank (above tank fill level). Third pipe in pic (from front of fill neck) is an overflow from filler neck but above pressure cap seal.

[JamesB]

Thanks Russell, that makes sense as well, would be easy to incorporate a "T" off the top hose which would then give me everything else I need.